The primary way to acquire a persistent identity on the Urbit network is via a planet-level identity. A "planet" has a 4 syllable handle, or @p, like ~sampel-palnet and is owned on the Ethereum network as a ERC-721 NFT or via Urbit's Layer 2, the "Naive Rollup".

Because Urbit ID is a decentralized and cryptographically-owned address space, any number of providers can offer for sale either a Layer 1 or Layer 2 identity, whether with crypto or fiat. There are also organizations (such as Tlon Corporation) which will give you a free identity as a part of signing up with their service, although that typically doesn't allow you chose a specific @p or sigil.

Aside from planet-level identities, there are also stars and galaxies which are key parts of Azimuth's networking hierarchy. But, if you are just getting started, we recommend a planet as it is reasonable in cost (~$0-100 depending on how fancy of a @p you want), and will do everything you need to get started on Urbit.

Below are a few options for where to buy a planet:

• OpenSea - An NFT Marketplace that supports trading Layer 1 Urbit IDs
• subject.network - Buy a Layer 2 planet with bitcoin
• ~pocwet - Buy a Layer 2 planet with a credit card

In the near future, additional identity options will be available, such as comet-attestation on Bitcoin.

Azimuth is the segment of urbit address space registered and owned on the Ethereum blockchain as ERC721 Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs). The smart contracts for Azimuth are found at Azimuth.eth (for the ownership ledger) and Ecliptic.eth for the transfer and upgrade logic. Azimuth identities can be purchased on various NFT marketplaces, such as opensea.io or 3rd party sellers, such as ~sitful-hatred on subject.network. There are 3 'types' of Azimuth identities: galaxies, stars, and planets (and their 'moons'). Typical users should chose a planet level identity for daily use.

Acquire an Urbit ID of your chosing by transferring it to a web3 wallet you control. You can then log in to Bridge using that wallet and take a variety of ownership and management actions from that interface.

Azimuth also has it's own custom Layer 2 Rollup which can be used if you desire reduced blockchain fees, in exchange for reduced legibility to broader Layer 1 Ethereum. It is commonly used by hosting providers, such as Tlon, in order to reduce the cost of initial user onboarding.

If you find that your Urbit ID NFT doesn't appear natively in your web3 wallet, it may be that you have a Layer 2 identity. Connect to Bridge and review your ownership of both Layer 1 and Layer 2 assets.

Urbit IDs are digital identities that are truly yours, rather than issued by MEGACORPs which can revoke them at any time. This is achieved by enabling self-custody of the cryptographic secrets which control the blockchain's record of your Urbit ID's ownership characteristics.

Sometimes referred to as a 'brainwallet', a 'master ticket' wallet is a specifically designed mechanism for remembering and deriving cryptographic secrets. By holding your Urbit ID in a master ticket wallet you are able to securely shard different permissions relating to your digital identity. For more technical detail on how this works, and recommendations for securely managing master ticket wallet secrets, check out the HD Wallet documentation.

Master tickets are just one way to store the cryptographic keys for your Urbit ID, other options include standard software wallets (such as MetaMask, or Rabby), hardware wallets (such as Trezor or Ledger), or even a multi-signature wallet (such as Gnosis Safe). We recommend choosing the method that you are most familiar with, and which is well supported by the interfaces you regularly use to interface with the blockchain (such as Bridge).

'Self-custody' is the idea that you should be the only one that knows and controls your cryptographic assets by being the one in control of the wallet which holds your cryptographic secrets (e.g. the seed phrase, or private key). In this paradigm, the responsibility for keeping cryptographic assets safe rests fully with the party that owns them, you. The nature of decentralization is such that there is generally no authority that has the power to restore any lost or stolen wallet.

Nobody can force you to follow good security practices. At most, they can give you recommendations. Urbit IDs have accompanying security realities that must be taken seriously, so remember: if critical items, such as your ownership key, are lost or compromised, your assets are likely gone forever.

There are a few common methods of self-custody that Urbit users follow. Using more common methods increase the likelyhood that a specific interaction pattern is well supported, but if you are an advanced cryptocurrency user, using your own techniques is always an option as well. If all of this is too daunting for you, using a Hosting Provider is an option and they will generally support easy co-custody of your Urbit ID, until you are ready to take your sovereignty into your own hands.

Urbit HD / master ticket wallets

Urbit's default wallet option is the master ticket wallet. It was specifically designed for interacting with the different permissions and 'proxies' that control your urbit identity. By default this is a 'paper wallet', and is what you will be given if your urbit planet was generated via Bridge's default invite creation flow for Layer 2 identities.

It is important to note that, while master ticket wallets are generally held as 'paper wallets', in order to use them you will need to enter your secret into Bridge in order to take ownership or management actions, so it should not be considered a 'cold wallet' in the same way as many paper wallets are used in the cryptocurrency world. Please also ensure that you confirm the domain, https://bridge.urbit.org so as to keep your assets secure when taking action requiring your cryptographic secrets.

Master ticket wallets offer an off-the-self solution for Urbit users who focus their crypto asset interactions purely on Urbit identities.

Software Wallets

Because Urbit ID is a cryptographic asset controlled by your secret, you can use any number of 'crypto wallets' for holding your identity. A few common options include: MetaMask, Brave Wallet, and Rabby Wallet.

The main thing for securing an Azimuth-based identity is your wallet needs to support the Ethereum blockchain.

Software wallets offer a nice balance of portability and flexibility, making them a common choice for Urbit users who also interact with other blockchain functionalities outside of Urbit. They are also a common interface for connecting a hardware wallet to an Azimuth interface, such as Bridge or Etherscan.

Hardware Wallets

While Urbit's planet-level identities are not wildly expensive, there are some good reasons for stepping up your security practices to the use of a hardware wallet. Primarily:

1. You are storing star- or galaxy-level identities. These are much more financially valuable assets and it is advisable to have more strict security practices around them.
2. You have built a lasting bond with, or even a highly credible reputation around, your Urbit ID. While inital costs of your Urbit ID are likely somewhere between free and $20, as you use your urbit and create relationships and reputational value, you may realize that it is increasingly valuable to you. In the same way that you may take steps to protect yourself from identity-theft in the analog world, so too might you chose that storing your Urbit ID in a hardware wallet is a good step to protecting yourself from identity-theft in cyberspace as well.

The two main options for hardware wallets used by Urbiters are Ledger and Trezor.